Embarking on a journey from the central hub that is Melbourne to a world beyond my expectations, I knew that the week I volunteered for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in their Mobile Dental Care Programme would be full of unexpected surprises and experiences. As a third year dental student, there is much to learn in the world of dentistry and to be given this opportunity to help and support disadvantaged communities in rural and remote Victoria is a privilege and a memory that I will always treasure.
Travelling in a team composed of two dentists, one dental assistant and myself, we ventured off in the Mobile Dental Care van, carrying essential dental equipment into the town of Mildura, prepared for what was to come in the week ahead.
On the first day, the team was split into two, with one group heading to the Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) to provide dental examinations to Indigenous Australians. My team headed to the Princes Court Residential Aged Care to educate carers on the importance of oral health care, how to take care of the elderly residents oral health and to provide bedside dental examinations to aged care residents. As I was about to give the presentation to the aged care staff, disaster struck when we were informed that the residential facility had been in lockdown due to a gastro outbreak. With the team's great intuition, we headed to Mildura Primary School a day ahead of schedule to perform dental screenings of the students oral health. We had to be as resourceful as possible by using a table with a blanket and pillow placed on top to be our provisional dental chair. The cultural spread of the students backgrounds was vast, ranging from Aboriginal to Pacific Islanders, ironically mirroring the broad spectrum of their oral health. The children told me that they were taught what the 'sometimes' foods were, such as chips and soft drinks, but there is an evident need to educate parents about the importance of optimal oral health and to involve them in addressing their children's oral health needs. After the dentist examined the kids, I sat cross-legged with the children to teach them how to brush their teeth with a model set of teeth and a toothbrush. When the kids could show me how to brush their teeth after the demonstration, they each received stickers and hugs from me. They each showed their appreciation to my gesture with smiles full of gaps.
The second day I headed to the East End Community House to aid refugees, asylum seekers and Indigenous Australians with their dire state of oral health. This was a residence set up by the Victorian State Government to create a central point of communication and allow the community to foster a sense of ownership for the house. Local residents would come to the house every day to cook for others with the fresh vegetables and herbs from the backyard community garden. Programmes and events are organised by the community house to engage and educate local residents in essential life skills such as cooking, art and music classes. The team set up a makeshift dental chair in a room to allow local residents to have their teeth checked. A significant finding with all the patients exemplified that their deteriorating oral health is in need of immediate attention. Chronic and aggressive periodontitis was widespread with the patients as it was apparent that smoking is still is a serious issue in rural communities. Packing up at the end of the day, a 2 year old girl who was our patient ran to me and shouted 'Free Hugs, Free Hugs'!. As soon as I bent down she gave me the tightest hug any 2 year old could give and I knew she appreciated the help we provided. It was an amazing feeling to know that my time here so far has made an impact on the community already.
The third day saw the team head back to Mildura Primary School to continue dental examinations whilst another dentist and I went around to each of the classrooms from Prep to Grade Four to educate the students how accidents can damage your teeth, how to brush and floss your teeth and to determine what healthy and unhealthy foods are. The sessions were interactive as the kids came up to show me how to brush their teeth to their class using the model set teeth. Many kids never knew to brush their teeth twice a day or why we brush our teeth, so to fill this gap in their knowledge was an important accomplishment. During the final talk to a Prep class about oral health, one little boy approached me and asked "Why does the heart beat?" I smiled at him and said, "Your heart beats because you're healthy, so if you want to be healthy remember to brush your teeth twice a day".
The final day we travelled to Robinvale to provide comprehensive examinations and treatment to disadvantaged patients. Robinvale has shown to be in urgent need of dental care for its residents as it has been reported that they have a high rate of preventable hospital admissions caused by dental conditions, a shortage of public dental services and a population at risk of dental diseases. When we arrived at the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative (MVAC), the dental surgery room was not fitted with electricity or a water supply. The team had to use their intuition again to work around the limitations, with successful treatments provided to the patients. I was fortunate enough to provide oral hygiene instruction to the patients once the dentist finished his clinical procedures and it surprised me how the patients were eager to learn how to take care of their teeth, as they were never taught from young.
This experience with the Royal Flying Doctor Service has given me inspiration to make an important change not only to the community of Mildura and Robinvale but to other remote communities that lack the support from oral health services. Having the feeling that you've made a change to the lives of the less fortunate gives you a feeling like no other, motivating me to volunteer again with the Mobile Dental Care Programme when I graduate as a dentist. The words of Mahatma Gandhi essentially encompass my experience - Be the change that you wish to see in the world.
Jen Cheah
3rd Year Dental Student